CHENNAI: The ruling DMK on Sunday said that, although it welcomed the extension provided by the Election Commission of India for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls, the measure was still inadequate. In a post on X, DMK’s legal wing secretary and MP NR Elango said,
“The truth is that even this extension is not sufficient to reduce the pressure on the public and BLOs.” He asked what was preventing the ECI from implementing the SIR with patience and in a democratic manner in consultation with all state governments instead of rushing through it without proper planning.
Addressing media earlier on Sunday, he, however, said that the ECI extending the deadline for SIR is a victory for the DMK’s democratic struggle. The ECI on Sunday extended the enumeration period for the SIR from December 4 to December 11, and date for publication of the draft electoral rolls from December 9 to 17. It postponed the publication of the final electoral rolls from February 7 to February 14, 2026.
Stating that the DMK had taken the issue to the Supreme Court and conducted democratic protests with alliance partners, Elango said the DMK would present detailed arguments before the Supreme Court on 4 December when the case filed by it comes up for hearing.
Meanwhile, welcome the Federation of Revenue Associations thanked the ECI for the extension. “This will not only provide a breather for the officials involved in this strenuous task, but also ensure qualitative completion of the work and inclusion of all eligible voters in the draft roll,” the federation said in a statement. It, however, reiterated its demand that one month’s salary must be sanctioned as honorarium to all the personnel involved in this exercise.